Once upon a time there was a happy couple with a nice little condo at the beach. They had lots of fun in a 23 foot cuddy cabin cruiser running around the bays and the ditch. It was a great day trip boat and soon the couple had all but forgotten the "beach umbrella" scene and were spending as many days as possible on the water.

One day, a big, angry, hurricane blew threw the beach town. There was much damage and it took a year to renovate and restore the little condo. The couple found other ways to spend their time. She read a lot of books, including "Honey, Let's Get A Boat" (by Ron & Eva Stob) about a couple who bought a boat and took off to circumnavigate the Eastern United States. He liked to travel to boat shows, just to browse.

The rest is history. Already being within "spitting distance" of retirement, we had no time for "three-feet-itus" (the common practice of buying and selling vessels every few years to upgrade to a boat 3 feet bigger). On New Year's Eve in 2004, we became the new owners of a 48' Jefferson and began the long preparation for the trip of a lifetime, America's Great Loop.